WIS, WWA | meet a VIP
I didn't do a great job of photographing my meals this week, but here is a VIP employee at my hospital for your enjoyment:
His job is to cheer patients up, and his skills are pretty elite. 😉
What I Spent
I spent:
- $64 at Aldi
- $12 at Safeway
- $30 on a Hungry Harvest box
So, $106.
What We Ate
Saturday
I had a work shift, and I just ate raisin bran when I came home.
I did have chickpea salad and shrimp for lunch though:
Sunday
I used a Panera gift card for a free no-cooking meal, and that's how we got the Panera bag that Chiquita was in. 😉
Monday
Zoe wasn't hungry, so I just baked a refrigerated Aldi pizza, which I would rate as...meh.
Tuesday
I made a big batch of burrito bowl fixings so that I could have leftovers for work.
I did not snag a picture of the dinner, but here's a burrito bowl lunch.
Wednesday
I worked; overnight oats for breakfast, a burrito bowl for lunch, and a bowl of cereal before bed.
Thursday
I worked, sooo...overnight carrot cake oats for breakfast, a burrito bowl for lunch, and a bowl of yogurt and fruit when I got home.
Friday
I'm working again today, so my breakfast and lunch are exact repeats of the last two days. And I really do not know what I'm eating tonight, but it probably will be minimal! I will likely eat my lunch burrito bowl so late that I will not be terribly hungry when I get home.
Happy Friday, everyone! We spent $196 ($123 at Trader Joe's and $73 at Target). Higher than normal due to buying more frozen convenience foods at Trader Joe's.
- Salad (spinach, quinoa, radishes, sunflower seeds, homemade vinaigrette)
- Veggie garden casserole
- Egg and cheese sandwich, cucumber slices dipped in Kristen's cilantro lime sauce
- Afternoon tea hosted by friends (tea, little sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, cookies)
- Vegetable chow mein
- Salad (spinach, hard-boiled egg, raisins, walnuts, homemade vinaigrette)
- Trader Joe's mac 'n' cheese, broccoli
Would be interested in the veggie garden casserole recipe or description, if you'd be up for sharing!
Happy to share! The original recipe is from Paulette Mitchell's "The New American Vegetarian Menu Cookbook" that I've had since the 1980s. I've taken some liberties with it here.
Veggie Garden Casserole
Makes 6 servings
1 tbl. butter
1/2 c. slivered almonds
2 c. cooked brown rice (I make ours with a flavorful broth rather than plain water)
1/4 c. chopped parsley (optional)
2 tbl. soy sauce
The recipe calls for the following veggies but really any combo works.
2 c. sliced broccoli
4 carrots, cut into julienne strips
1 zucchini, cut into julienne strips
1 c. cut green beans
1 c. cauliflower florets
2 c. tomato or marinara sauce
1 1/2 - 2 c. shredded cheese (any type or combo)
Oil a 9x13 baking dish or a large casserole dish. Saute almonds in butter until lightly browned. Add to cooked rice; stir in parsley and soy sauce. Spread on the bottom of the baking dish. Steam the veggies until crisp-tender. Spoon over the rice and pour the sauce evenly over the top. Cover the baking dish (foil is fine) and bake at 375 until heated through, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole. Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Makes excellent leftovers, too. Enjoy!
Good morning!
Saturday: Went a birthday party so ate heavy appetizers there. That's how the menu was described on the invitation. It was actually quite the variety.
Sunday: I made meatloaf and roasted broccoli. Hubby added mashed potatoes for his dinner. I don't eat mashed potatoes. I eat pierogis that have mashed potato filling. It's a childhood thing. Not my jam.
Monday: Skirt steak fajitas.
Tuesday: Skirt steak fajitas.
Wednesday: Son made smashburgers. Ate waaaaaay too many potato chips, not mashed potatoes ;), before the burgers were ready.
Thursday: A repeat of Wednesday. Exactly. 😉
Friday: I have a bag of frozen shrimp that I'm gonna cook. Broccoli. Not sure what else. Son's friend is probably coming over for a birthday dinner, it's the friend's birthday this weekend, so I want to make it special.
Happy Friday!
Good morning, I have been taking my bestie for radiation treatments and appointments all week so my meals have been all over the place . Lots of sandwiches, fruits and yogurt packed from home.
Onto suppers:
Sat: homemade hamburger helper, salad
Sun: chicken on the bbq and roasted veggies
Mon: repeat of Sunday
Tuesday: meatball sheet pan dinner from one of my favorite websites Downshiftology
Wed: repeat of Tuesday
Thurs: after a full day at the Cancer Clinic, I had a piece of carrot cake with cream cheese icing that a friend brought over and that was it lol
Fri: it is a cold snowy so some sweet and sour ribs are in the crockpot, rice on the side.
That is so nice of you! You are a good friend!
Teresa, you definitely earned that Thursday dinner. Plus you had a serving of vegetable and dairy. Well done! I'm very sorry your bestie has cancer.
I feel cheered up just looking at that dog!
This week's eats:
Saturday: Burritos with mixed veg, brown rice, black beans and sauce.
Sunday: Stuffed shells with cottage cheese and spinach.
Monday: Veggie burgers with mashed potatoes which I mixed garlic and cheese into. I had sauteed spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms on the side.
Tuesday: Chilli mac and cheese.
Wednesday: Leftovers.
Thursday: Burritos again!
Tonight: I'm going out after work so no idea! Possibly pizza.
It looks to me like Panera designed their green bag specifically to match Chiquita's beautiful eyes.
Mr. Book Club and I just returned from 9 days travel in which we spent way more money on eating out than on groceries, so no frugal victories here. However, it was totally money well spent - we had a wonderful time and got to enjoy family and friends.
Seeing the blue cape makes me wonder if the VIP service dog is from Canine Companions for Independence? My son is disabled, and we had a service dog for him when he was a child from CCI. His dog completely changed his life, and I will forever be grateful.
I just came here to ask the same. I am on my 4th CCI partner.
Saturday we ate at a local Indian restaurant that was offering buffet. This was the girls BF birthday request so we met with his family and enjoyed the experience.
Sunday- baked potatoes- choose your own adventure style! lol
Monday- the boy chose NOT to cook on his night and took us to his fav Mexican place to get his craving fixed
Tuesday- I turned leftover baked potatoes into air fryer wedges, reheated homemade mac n cheese and made a few burgers
Weds-Korean bowls with ground pork as the protein, rice, carrots and broccoli
Thursday- used frozen chicken patties to make *chicken Parm* served with pasta. Super quick throw together from pantry staples when the girl messaged she was on her way home from a track meet, dehydrated and starving! lol
I am slowly working my way back to cooking real meals, and spending about $100 every couple of weeks. This week:
M - I think I just had a cup of tea at home? I've been trying not to eat a meal after my shifts because its so late when I get home. Sometimes I snack on Catalina Crunch cereal with some dark chocolate chips tossed in.
T - Salmon, asparagus, some leftover shredded cabbage all cooked together in my small cast iron skillet and it was amazing
W - (freezer) Coconut Shrimp, the rest of the cabbage, and asparagus
T - Made Sour Cream Green Chile Enchiladas, rice, and peas for Son #2, sent him home with the leftovers and some homemade chocolate chip cookies
F - I think I might do a taco salad with some turkey taco meat from the freezer, the rest of the shredded mont jack from last night, a tomato that is over-ripe, and the rest of the Fritos.
Happy Weekend!
That pup is delightful! The week:
Monday- Cajun chicken pasta, salad.
Tuesday- Italian sausage soup with beans, spinach, and various veggies.
Wednesday- Bible study elsewhere. The hosts made chili, we contributed cilantro and a dessert (shortbread bars with chai plum jam).
Thursday- crock pot meatballs in marinara that were turned into subs once home from my girls’ ballet. And asparagus. My oldest was out with a friend watching a local production of The Velveteen Rabbit, but I hear she ate Chick Fil A and skittles. 😉
Friday- pizza! Movie! With a little cousin so her parents can have a date night.
Golden are some of the best. Is he a permanent employee?
WIS: $24 at Wegmans and $35 at Ollie's.
WIA: Even less inspiring than usual, since I'd rather be gardening than cooking at this time of year.
Three hearty huzzahs for the hospital's canine VIP, however. At NDN1's assisted living facility, the director has a golden retriever/Irish setter mix named Gracie who often comes to work with him, and one of the residents has a Havanese dog named Bella (residents are permitted to have small pets). Both Gracie and Bella are extremely popular.
He even cheers you, a non-dog person, up, doesn't he? Goldens are famously cheery, for sure.
We survived on various combinations of rice and ground beef this week, because my husband and I have been sick all week. I think I have a sinus infection. Boooo. Anyway . . .
Saturday: I was baking bread, so I made some garlic bread. Then to go with it, tuna salad, carrot sticks with ranch dip. I made myself a soup with hardboiled eggs as the protein, which was actually not bad.
Sunday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, frozen green peas, chocolate milkshakes
Monday: Bunch of different combinations of meat sauce as a sandwich, with spaghetti, or with rice. I made oatmeal for me and my daughter. I don't even really eat oatmeal, and I think it was the first time I have ever had it for dinner, but I wanted something hot and not requiring chewing.
Tuesday: Something like Spanish rice, with ground beef, salsa, cheese, etc. I also made some random chocolate/peanut butter cornflake clusters as a post-standardized-testing treat. I didn't want to bake, and they were easy. Not sure I would make them again, though.
Wednesday: Leftovers.
Thursday: Lamb chops, mashed potatoes, asparagus or raw radishes
Tonight: Something with eggs. I have about seven dozen right now, so using a dozen or so in one fell swoop would be a good idea. Breakfast burritos, maybe? If I'm feeling motivated--not a theme this week--I might even make a baked custard. That uses seven eggs and would also use some of the six gallons of milk in the refrigerator right now.
I find that dressing up store-bought pizzas improves them immensely. I usually add sliced jalapenos or peperoncini peppers and feta cheese. We have a favorite veggie pizza from a local place that also adds thin-sliced yellow squash.
Kristen, I sometimes worry you are not eating enough protein, girl!
I spent $15 at Kroger; $12 at Aldi; and $56 at Walmart; so $83.
I'm noticing prices rising weekly. Milk was up 20 cents a gallon since last week, Walmart brand potato chips up 37 cents a bag! (this may be the universe telling me we didn't need them!). Cucumbers up 4 cents each. These high gas prices are killing profits for the truckers and hurting us. I hope this ends soon.
Sat – crockpot chicken burritos with toppings, green salad.
Sun – grilled strip steak, butternut squash casserole, green salad.
M – leftover Chicken burrito mix in tortillas with toppings, leftover 3 bean salad.
T– pork roast in crockpot, roasted seasoned sweet potatoes, steamed frozen green beans.
W – grilled sirloin beef kabobs with peppers, onions, tomatoes and yellow to squash over brown saffron rice.
Th– leftover pork roast, egg noodles and brussels sprouts
F – not quite sure, but probably brats on buns, with peppers and onions, cole slaw, tater tots.
Dinners for us...
Sunday - roast chicken, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, green beans, mashed potatoes.
Monday - leftover chicken, green beans, pasta.
Tuesday - waffles, chicken sausage, and strawberries.
Wednesday - We went to the movies (Project Hail Mary! so good!) - Chipotle and McDonalds for the boy.
Thursday - Steak stir fry.
Friday - Costco dinner?
WIS: $57.40. Included 2 pounds of ground beef on sale (or what passes for a sale price these days), 1 pound of which went immediately into the freezer, and 2 discounted packages of brioche buns, 1 of which went into the freezer with the extra pound of ground beef.
WIA: London Broil with roasted smashed red potatoes and broccoli. Chicken with broccoli and cauliflower and rice in a cheddar cheese sauce. BLTs with heirloom tomatoes that elevated them onto the Best Sandwich Ever list.
I think I mostly remember what we ate:
On Friday, I came home from a work trip & there was nothing in the fridge. I had popcorn, followed by ice cream
Other days: I made ravioli (Trader Joes caramelized onions + goat cheese kind) + grilled chicken (freezer stash) x2
Chicken fajita rice x2
Grilled chicken over salads
As for tonight, I think we have one serving each of the chicken fajita rice, so we will likely do that.
A Friday night dinner of popcorn and ice cream sounds like the Blue Plate Special at the end of a draining work week.
I usually try to eat linner (lunch/dinner) late on days I work a 12 hour shift. There is usually a snack in between breakfast and linner so I don't faint. lol. I have to wait two hours after eating before going to bed so it's not an option to eat when I get home from work.
Confession time: I really dislike the idea of dogs in hospitals or other previously animal free spaces. A therapy dog would spike my cortisol and make me worried the hospital wasn't clean. I know it's not logical because protocols are followed but as someone who is not comfortable around animals (like at all) it just feels weird how "normal" this is becoming to everyone but me.
Worry not! He only visits patients who specify that they would like a visit from the therapy dog. 🙃
I like animals well enough, but it is not normal for me either. I know some folks have serious allergies and/or fears, and I think it's not the most thoughtful thing to bring animals into stores and other public places. Most people will be just fine not going to a park (where I would be fine with having dogs/animals), but grocery stores are made for people and kind of necessary. I am 100% okay with animals on leashes at a pet supply store because it's kind of expected there and because most folks who have animals would be okay with animals.
Another problem I have is people allowing their dogs off-leash in a public place when it's posted otherwise. We once had our (little) children in a stream/pool in a public park, and somebody let their rottweiler off its leash. It charged toward the pool and jumped in with my children. The kids saw the large dog coming at them, and they (and I) were terrified. It ended up being a very well-behaved dog, but it was still quite a scary experience.
I can't eat popcorn because of Crohns, but when I saw you taking Pop Corners for lunch, I tried them. I was very pleased with the popcorn taste. I've learned so many good things from you! You are a Blessing to me.
I’ve spent the past week in Chicago working at a conference so lots of eating out with work friends!
Friday: Pasta Arrabbiata at a pasta restaurant across the street from the convention center. I was lucky enough to have dinner with two coworkers who suggested splitting a beet salad as an app so I was on cloud nine!
Saturday: We tried a Hawaiian restaurant and it was so fun. I had a delicious shrimp poke bowl.
Sunday: Lots of small bites of Chicago favorites at a party where we rented out the Museum of Science and Industry.
Monday: Lots of small plates at a Greek restaurant. Sometimes the portion sizes are just too big and this is the best way to not feel bad about wasting food because we can’t take food back to our rooms.
Tuesday: Team Dinner night! I enjoyed lamb with mushroom risotto.
Wednesday: My college roommate was in town because her company is setting up their own conference so we took advantage of a night with no kids and went out for dinner – I had some very yummy black cod with a side of brussels and mushrooms.
Thursday: As a welcome home dinner my husband made salmon, lemon dill rice, and sauteed snap peas. He did have to wake me up to eat dinner but it was the best meal I had alllllll week!
I used to work at the Museum of Science and Industry. It remains a favorite place.
Saturday - takeout night so we got sushi and udon noodles for the non-sushi eater
Sunday - Swedish meatballs and steamed broccoli for the family, I’d had a filling banh mi sandwich for lunch for a friends birthday so I just had a piece of toast with hummus and tomato for dinner.
Monday - salad night for the adults with chicken on my husbands and falafel on mine, kids had pearl couscous and steamed veggies
Tuesday - kids had udon noodles cooked in some of the leftover udon broth from Saturday takeout and some steamed dumplings (shrimp dumplings from Costco, vegetable soup dumplings from Trader Joe’s) I had a chickpea salad sandwich.
Wednesday - Our busy night due to a Girl Scout meeting, made the kids quick refried bean burritos as an early dinner and then a big snack when we got home (cut fruits and veggies and cheese) I had banana bread with peanut butter on it when I got home.
Thursday - I worked late so my MIL reheated some spaghetti and meatballs I’d left in the fridge for the kids. I had a green goddess soup I’d made earlier in the week (really tasty, herb forward and also creamy due to the Yukon gold potatoes and silken tofu in it) and a sesame bagel with hummus and tomato.
Friday - I’m hosting book club tonight. I’m defrosting a leftover veggie and rice casserole for the kids, I’ll have another bowl of green goddess soup and then book club snacks, including the bruschetta I’m making for it.
Lots of repeats for me this week--
Saturday: peanut soup, corn casserole
Sunday: cheese quesadillas, carrots, pear
Monday: French bread pizza
Tuesday: French bread pizza
Wednesday: French bread pizza
Thursday: sausage, cheese and potato soup
Tonight the family is meeting at -- a pizza place! I think I will try to get something else.
WIS: $21 at Jewel
Not sure if this is one of the huge refrigerator pizzas, but if it's not and you haven't tried them, my family does love the large refrigerator pizzas from Aldi. Such a good deal.
What a happy dog! In my hospital we had little dogs, big dogs, a security dog, a guy who brought in service cats and a miniature pony. All fun. We also had classical guitar players and a harpist. In the main entrance there is a grand piano.
WIS: $120 @ Costco, $13 @ restaurant supply and $20 @ Winco
Sunday Family Dinner - pork roast, spinach salad w/citrus dressing, smashed potatoes
Monday - garden salad w/ sliced pork
Tue- Dweji Bulgogi (practised recipe for community dinner on Wednesday). Also made marinated shredded carrot, radish, cabbage and cucumber.
Served on Bao buns.
Wed dinner potluck, cheesecake snickerdoodles.
Thurs - omelets and sourdough toast
Fri - grilled sausage & sauerkraut
Saturday - carnitas at truck round up before Oregon State baseball game
We eat burrito bowls almost every week!
The most exciting meal here this week is tonight's pizza, including potato pizza, a favorite of my daughter's.
I had lots of random meals this week. In no particular order:
--leftover pork chops in mustard cream sauce with noodles (x2)
--oven barbecued burger on a bun with toppings--pickles, tomato, cheese, bacon, and lettuce
--late night, only a cheesecake cup. I was so tired I wasn't even hungry enough to fix a sandwich and went straight to bed
--out of town for a work conference and meals were paid for by work. I had salt and pepper wings and a green salad
-- on the road, a gourmet ham and cheese sandwich on foccaia bread with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and sauce; and apple, chips, and cookies.
That's all I can remember!